Here are the players that I think should start for the National League in the All-Star game. (Note: All statistics are as of July 6.)

Catcher – Miguel Olivo, Colorado Rockies: He’s hitting better than .300 and has double-digit home runs. Brian McCann has not done enough to get the nod over Olivo in my mind. Olivo’s OPS advantage of 65 points says it all.

First Base – Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals: It was actually a tough call between Pujols and Cincy’s Joey Votto. Votto edges out Fat Albert in home runs and RBI, but Pujols deserves the nod via reputation. Pujols is hitting .305, which is below average for him, but he’s still been one of the best players in the game. He looks to be coming around these days and I think his numbers will look how you’d expect them to by the end of the season. Some early season struggles certainly haven’t stopped people from getting MLB tickets to see this slugger.

Second Base – Brandon Phillips, Cincinnati Reds: Phillips has been one of the most underrated players in the game over the past few seasons. He’s got a great combination of power and speed, but usually struggles a bit in hitting for average. 2010 has been a different story, though, as Phillips is currently hitting at a .307 clip. Add in his double-digit home runs and stolen bases and you’ve got an All-Star starter.

Third Base – David Wright, New York Mets: After having a down 2009 season from a power perspective, Wright bulked up in the offseason and is seeing the results. Wright has belted 14 dingers this season to go along with 15 stolen bases and a .317 average. Wright’s most impressive statistic, however, has to be his RBI total of 64 – tops in the N.L.

Shortstop – Hanley Ramirez, Florida Marlins: Ramirez is having a bit of a down year from a batting average standpoint, but everything else is there. For the record, a down year for him is hitting .297. With 13 home runs, 15 stolen bases and 53 RBI, Ramirez is the only choice for this position.

Outfield – Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers: Braun isn’t having a monster year, but he’s been really good. If his standards weren’t so high, it’d be easier to see that he’s having a fine season. We’ll probably see him here for a long time.

Outfield – Andre Ethier, Los Angeles Dodgers: When Ethier went down with an injury earlier this season, he was leading the National League in each of the Triple Crown categories. He’s slowed down a bit since coming back from the disabled list, but he’s still hitting .324 with solid power numbers. Ethier appears to be making the leap into star status.

Outfield – Chris Young, Arizona Diamondbacks: The batting average may not be great (.268), but everything else has been fantastic in what has been a bounce-back season for the D-Backs outfielder. Young has 15 home runs, 16 stolen bases, 57 RBI and 46 runs scored this season. That’s all-around production.

Starting Pitcher – Josh Johnson, Florida Marlins: Ubaldo Jimenez has been great, but I think Johnson has been even better. With an ERA of 1.83 and cialis cheap a WHIP of 0.96, Johnson has Jimenez bested in both categories. He doesn’t get the kind of run support that Jimenez does, though, which is why his 8-3 record pales in comparison to Jimenez’s 14-1 mark. Still, Johnson hasn’t allowed more than two runs in a start since May 8, and hasn’t allowed more than three since his first start of the season on April 5.

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